By Edwin Philip
The Nasarawa State Government has said that all commissioners, members of the state executive council and indeed all appointees will be members of the Lafia Golf Club and start playing golf, owning to the huge government investment in the club as well as to boast golf tourism which is growing in leaps and bounds.
The hint was dropped the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe during the Golf Classic Tournament, put together the Zumata Association USA Incorporated in conjunction with Lafia Golf Club, to mark the 2025 convention of the association holding in Lafia the Nasarawa State capital.
The deputy governor who performed the ceremonial Tee-off and participated in other activities of the tournament, saluted the comaderie of golfers from the United States and across Nigeria for making Nasarawa state and Lafia in particular their home.
Dr. Akabe said that he will speak with the governor Engr. Abdullahi Sule that members of state executive council and all appointee of government to register as members of the club.
“I made the statement this morning and I will follow that very seriously, we will have to make the members of the State executive council and all appointee of government to register as members of this club because those people who came from outside admire our golf course, with all the holes that we have, they said the course is so beautiful and it is one of the best courses in this part of the country and if we have such a thing here we have to take advantage of it, so that we can attract more people coming to play from outside” he said.
“I have told the commissioner for Sport and Youth Development to liase with Lafia Golf Club to produce membership forms so that all the commissioners to sign and patronize this and all the other government appointees to sale Lafia Golf Club, continue to sale golf and I will also talk to the governor to fill the form and be a member” he emphasized.
Akabe who is a member of the club, sai he will soon be playing regularly to improve his swings and urge all members of club to guide the facilities of the club jealously, the government having renovated the club house, put the course in good shape making it suitable for the game and tourism.
“Today am sure that the international community will get into Google and check where is Lafia and where is Nasarawa State because of course Zumata is here, as the vice captain said coming here and playing golf here have exposed Nasarawa and Lafia particularly to the international world and within golf international bodies and it is now left for us to build on that for the members of this club, having spent so much, to work on the course and the club house please I beg you let us own the club house, let us not have the typical Nigerian attitude that it is government own no no, it is our own, we must guide it jealously, protect it ” he added.
He however thanked the Zumata international association for agreeing to bring the conference to Nasarawa State to honour it longest serving president, Engr. Abdulahi Sule, urging them to continue to show and practice the team spirit that Zumata stands for.
The deputy governor promised to speak to the governor to see if approval will be made maybe through the ministry of sport to support the club to continue to maintain the club house and all the fairways, adding that the request the club for Zumata to change hole 9 and 18 to green is achievable and that himself and others will make efforts make one or two holes to become green as that will continue until the entire 18 holes turns green.
On his part, the National President of the Zumata Association USA Incorporated, Sunday Bitrus, said that 2025 is the second time Lafia and indeed Nasarawa State his hosting Zumata in it 25 years of existence as an association.
“We are privileged to be hosted the Nasarawa State government and the Lafia Golf Club, for this tournament. You may think that Golf is a fun game until you start playing, as a matter of fact our association has been hosting numerous tournaments, we hosted the Zumata Golf Classic. Sometimes we might have a sponsor so you might hear the name a little bit different.
“As part of our fun raising activities in terms of providing scholarships to students, helping the homeless, we host this kind of events so that we can get the elite players in the society to come around and help us in generating funds so that we can continue to give back to our community and we thought that golf is one game that is classic enough to be able to meet some of the needs that we have ” he said.
“As you know most of our members are quite elderly people, some of them are seasoned in their profession,the game of golf is what brought some of this players together to contribute to our course” he added.
Speaking on the prospect of Nasarawa State and Lafia as a golf tourism hub, he said that he is considering starting a golf club in Nasarawa State because it will brings in a lot of people from all walks of life who will come into Nasarawa State and begin to see some windows of opportunities, adding that most of the golfers are seasoned professionals, business people, playing Golf in USA people who have travel the world for golf tourism.
According to him, he will attract other Nigerians in diapora to be make Lafia Golf Club a golfing destination and see what is going on Lafia, they can engage with regular people in the streets, the business opportunities, invest in people, invest in infrastructure and so many other areas.
On her part, the commissioner of Environment and Natural Resources, princess Dr. Margaret Elayo, who is the focal person for the diaspora, said she decided that they should have a good time in Nasarawa State, and for Zumata members to go around to see what the governor is doing for Nasarawa State.
“This is a beautiful welcome idea to Nasarawa State in celebrating the hard work of his Excellency the executive governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Sule, a member of the Zumata association, actually a one time president of the Zumata association and for that Zumata association USA decides to bring in their summit to honour the governor of Nasarawa State” she said.
She added” you can see on the beautiful place in Nasarawa State for golfing and his Excellency the deputy governor just mandated me to make sure that on a weekly basis, myself and my colleagues will come out, and take over from this beginning that we have just experienced today, so now we have seen the beauty of Lafia, we have seen the beauty of Nasarawa State, it is a welcome idea everyone is welcome all over the world, come and have fun this is Nasarawa State and this one of the good things we have here”.
Goodwill messages were given the honourable Commissioner of Youth and sport, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, royal fathers, the Captain of the club Arc. John Mlanga represented his vice Mr Akin Ogidi.
Winners emerged from the tournament from all categories carting home mouth watery prizes, with Ibrahim Abdullahi of Lafia Golf Club winning the best net of 72 in category one while the Lady Captain of Lafia Golf Club, Ruth Maren got the best net of 66, amongst other winners.
Zumata Association USA Incorporated is a charity organization of person from northern Nigeria living in the United States of America, who critically look at what is going on in Nigeria, as well as what is going on around the world, providing constructive criticism, both to leadership and eliciting discussions around issues of national development, that concerns them.
According to the association their aim of what they are doing in this year’s convention is that they want to move away from talking into acting, which is why their host communities where trained in ICT, involved in medical outreach and as well as golfing for charity
The theme of the 2025 convention is mobilizing from conversation into action.